Missouri, Kansas finalize resumption of football rivalry for 2025

Finally, and officially, the Border War is heading back to the gridiron.

Missouri and Kansas will play in 2025 and 2031 in Columbia and during the 2026 and 2032 seasons in Lawrence, Kansas, Kansas athletics announced in a news release Saturday. Missouri released the news later Saturday.

“I’m excited for our fans to have the chance to be part of this historical rivalry again,” Tigers head coach Eliah Drinkwitz said. “I know there has been some time off, but I’m positive the energy and excitement will be there right away for everybody. While I haven’t been part of Mizzou/KU, I have been involved in some pretty intense rivalries and I do believe that is a big part of what makes college football so special to people.”

The first game in the rivalry renewal will be played Sept. 6, 2025. The games in later years are scheduled for early September, too: Sept. 12, 2026; Sept. 6, 2031; and Sept. 11, 2032.

“This agreement renews one of college football’s most historic rivalries and we believe Jayhawk fans will enjoy the competition,” KU athletic director Jeff Long said in the Kansas release. “This will be a great experience for our students, student-athletes and fans to have the Border Showdown games on campus, and look forward to seeing that excitement at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.”

The old Big 12 rivals last met at Arrowhead Stadium during the 2011 season, a game Missouri won 24-10. The Tigers won each of the last three meetings between the two squads before moving to the SEC.

On April 9, PowerMizzou first reported that Missouri athletic director Jim Sterk had sent an email to donors that the rivalry “is being contracted as of this writing.”

“This is a tremendous opportunity to reignite one of college football’s oldest rivalries,” KU coach Les Miles said in Saturday’s Kansas release. “Anytime you bring two football teams on the field with that history, I think it will excite our student-athletes and fans, and will certainly be a great battle on the field.”

Missouri already had all four of its nonconference spots filled for the 2025 season, with matchups against Miami (Ohio) and Colorado on the road and North Dakota and Massachusetts at home. The Tigers likely will have to reschedule or move one of those games to accommodate the meeting with the Jayhawks, though Sept. 6 was an open date on the existing 2025 schedule.

“We are very excited about renewing this historic rivalry that our fans are so passionate about,” Sterk said. “College football is better with rivalries like this, and our fans deserve to have it return. We’re pleased to make this happen, and we look forward to restoring this important tradition at Mizzou.”

Kansas claims that Missouri leads the all-time series 56-55-9, while Missouri argues it holds a 57-54-9 advantage.

The schools agreed to a six-year basketball series in October, and have met in softball during each of the last two seasons.